Posted on Nov 28, 2012
Disabled and elderly Americans regularly visit one of 1,500 U.S. Social Security field offices to meet with caseworkers, apply for benefits, and get answers to their questions. Beginning November 19, the Social Security Administration will shorten the service window during which agency employees are available to meet with the public.
Previously, Social Security field offices were open to the public on weekdays between 9:00AM and 3:30PM. With the reduced hours, field offices will now close every day at 3:00PM. Hours will be cut further starting on January 2, 2013, with Social Security field offices closing at noon on Wednesdays.
The change is due to major funding cuts for the Social Security Administration. In fiscal year 2012, the agency is operating with 400 million dollars less than fiscal year 2010. This means that the agency is no longer able to pay employees overtime to handle in-person interviews and process claims paperwork. In order to provide the same level of service, workers will have additional time during the workday to handle these tasks. This comes at the expense of reducing the amount of time agency employees are available to assist the public.
The budget cuts may increase the backlog of Social Security disability cases in this country. The attorneys at Schmidt Kramer are familiar with Social Security law and regularly work with disabled workers who have been denied Social Security benefits. If you are disabled and the Social Security Administration has denied your disability benefit application, contact a York Social Security Disability attorney at (717) 888-8888 for a free consultation.